Viorica Rarinca ^1,2* Amalia Vasile ^1* Malina Visternicu ^1,2 Vasile Burlui ^2* Gabriela Halitchi ^2* Alin Ciobica ^1,2,3 Ana Maria Singeap ^4,5* Romeo Dobrin ^4,6* Ecaterina Burlui ^2* Lucian Maftei ^7* Anca Trifan ^4,8

• ¹ Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași, Romania
• ² Apollonia University, Iași, Romania
• ³ Romanian Academy, Iasi Branch, Iași, Romania
• ⁴ Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Iasi, Romania
• ⁵ Emergency County Hospital Saint Spiridon, Iasi, Romania
• ⁶ Socola Iași Institute of Psychiatry, Iași, Romania
• ⁷ SC MAKEUP SHOP SRL – Cosmetic product development department (Mihail Kogalniceanu Street, no. 2, Miroslava, Iasi, Romania, 707305), Iași, Romania
• ⁸ Saint Spiridon Hospital, Iasi, Romania

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including dietary habits. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Emerging research suggests that diet may impact schizophrenia through various biological mechanisms beyond oxidative stress and inflammation. Notably, epigenetic changes can modify gene expression related to neurodevelopment and neurotransmitter systems, while neuroplasticity plays a crucial role in brain adaptation and resilience against psychiatric disorders. Nutritional deficiencies, such as lack of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and B vitamins, during prenatal and postnatal periods can negatively impact neurodevelopment and increase the risk of schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia show imbalances in antioxidant enzymes such as: glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and reduced levels of antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C),. These biochemical alterations lead ing to heightened increased oxidative stress markers, including such as malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, Ccytokine-mediated inflammation, microglial activation, and gut dysbiosis are associated with schizophrenia onset and severity of schizophrenia symptoms severity. Currently, Tthere is no clear and universally accepted dietary regimen for the treatmentmanaging of schizophrenia, which is considered the most popular. However, various diets and nutritional methods are being researched and applied to alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia and improve the general health of patients, including the Mmediterranean diet, ketogenic diet, gluten-free diet, and dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet. A healthy diet rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients can help manage schizophrenia by reducing oxidative stress, preventing complications, and improving quality of life. Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and B vitamins are particularly important for brain development and function. In this review, we will focus on the influence of diet on schizophrenia.